From NCR:
Pope Francis reflected on the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd during his Regina Caeli address Sunday, noting that it is a role characterized by his sacrificial love.
“Jesus explains that he is not a hired man who cares nothing for the sheep, but a man who knows them,” the Pope said on April 21, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday because it is the theme of the Gospel. “It is true: He knows us; he calls us by our name; and, when we are lost, he looks for us until he finds us.” Pope Francis explained that Christ’s role as a shepherd introduced a new logic, observing that he is not only acting as a guide, or “the head of the flock,” but is instead “living in symbiosis” with his people.